Award-Winning Dog Groomer Expands Services in Suwanee
By: Rachel Pillow
Then Karina Miller, Owner of Unleashed Creations Pet Spa, moved here from Ecuador fifteen years ago she barely spoke a word of English, did not know anyone and basically had to reinvent her life from scratch. “There, I was a go-getter with a very big circle of friends; moving here was really hard, especially with the language barrier,” she admitted, in accented yet excellent English. Now, she is living what many would call the “American dream” – having built her own business from the ground up.
Unleashed Creations Pet Spa recently moved to a large, new facility on Buford Hwy in Suwanee, but has been caring for furry friends in the area for over four years. Along with the relocation came an exciting, new expansion of services: doggy day care and overnight boarding. Originally only a grooming facility, Miller kept receiving boarding requests from customers and decided to build them a fun, healthy environment where dogs can play and feel safe.
The new facility features “resort-style” boarding with luxury pet beds and large, private doggy suites – each with their own themed décor such as Egypt, Paris or the beach! Boarders and daycare pups alike enjoy supervised playtime with furry friends of their own size in large, clean, indoor and outdoor play yards.
Grooming is still a core service and one of Miller’s longtime passions. Her career began, like many other groomers, at PetSmart, where she received formal training and certification. She started fourteen years ago with no experience except a love of owning and caring for dogs – and quickly and naturally became one of their most sought-after groomers. Within a short time, customers were asking for her specifically while coworkers and other groomers watched her techniques, asking for advice. After several years, Miller realized she had reached her full potential as a groomer with the corporation and set out to fulfill her dreams with other Master Groomers in the area. It was there that she honed in on her technique, speed and skillset – even going on to win prestigious awards in the industry.
The Atlanta Pet Fair is the largest pet grooming competition in North America, and Miller has won four times. She specializes in grooming some of the most difficult dog breeds: Standard Poodles and Bichons, but is equally trained to care for all types.
“All of us here truly love dogs and care for them as if they are our own,” she said. Miller treasures the memories she creates with dogs and their owners. “I love helping raise them since the time they were puppies,” she said. The older the dog gets the harder her job becomes, but her commitment is diehard. “Grooming is not easy,” she admits. “It requires patience and building a connection with the dog,” she said, “But I consider myself very lucky and am one of the few people that really can say I love what I do!” Miller has worked hard to achieve her own version of “The American Dream,” and credits much of her success to the support of her mother who has instilled a hard work ethic in her and has always been supportive of her following her dream.
